Butterflies, Pelicans, and Bobcats at Point Reyes
As part of his Point Reyes Walkabout, Jules Evens covers 10 miles on the Estero Trail, spots a bobcat, and logs a record-early sighting of a common butterfly, possibly thanks to climate change.
Author Archives: Jules Evens
Naturalist and writer Jules Evens has lived near Point Reyes for over 30 years. He is the founder of Avocet Research Associates and the author of The Natural History of the Point Reyes Peninsula and An Introduction to California Birdlife (both UC Press).
Let It Rain: Two Short Strolls at Point Reyes
Now that the winter rains have finally found us here along the central California coast, my attention focuses on finding weather windows for walks in the wild. During a gentle shower, or a just after a stormy squall, the forests and fields are freshened and it's a fine time to take to the trail.
A Bobcat Day in Bear Valley
The Bear Valley trail, heading southwest from Park Headquarters to the coast, is one of the emblematic walks, and the most traveled trail, on the Point Reyes Peninsula. Jules covers about 10 miles and encounters a bobcat, an alligator lizard, early-blooming milkmaids, and very late-blooming Indian paintbrush.
50 Years of Point Reyes, 154 Miles of Trails!
This New Year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of Point Reyes National Seashore, yet another brilliant example of "America's Best Idea." To acknowledge and honor this milestone, I have set a personal goal to walk all of the 154 miles of designated trails within the Seashore during 2012, one step at a time.
Setting Out: 2012 Point Reyes Walkabout
Jules starts with Muir and runs into a badger as he sets out on his adventure to hike every trail at Point Reyes this year. Stay tuned for more!
Shifting Sands
At the mouth of Tomales Bay, sand dunes and seasonal wetlands coexist uneasily with California's largest coastal campground. The dunes at Lawson's Landing, home to rare butterflies and plants like the dune tansy, are among the few left of a once-common coastal habitat that could be restored and maintained as a healthy, functioning ecosystem. But can that be accomplished without driving out the family-run camping operation at the dunes that, since 1957, has been an affordable summer getaway for thousands of visitors?
The Dream Given by You
The return of endangered coho salmon to their ancestral spawning grounds in this west Marin watershed is an essential component of the connective tissue that holds a fragmented ecosystem together. Greeting the salmon tethers us to the landscape's seasonal rhythms and reawakens a lineage that goes back to the first inhabitants of this place.
Resources about Salmon and Other Anadromous Fish
Anadromous Fish Symposium The Center for Ecosystem Mangement and Restoration (CEMAR) and the Oakland Museum are sponsoring a symposium on November 14-15 on “Salmon and Steelhead in Your Creek: Restoration and Management of Anadromous Fish in Bay Area Watersheds.” This … Read more
What’s the difference between bird songs and bird calls?
Q: What’s the difference between bird songs and bird calls? [L.R., Santa Clara A: Bird song, usually produced by the male, is an advertisement of territory and breeding availability, and, in most species, is limited to the breeding season. As … Read more
